Gen. Martin Dempsey had a couple of reasons for wanting to visit the traumatic brain injury clinic at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center’s Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Center last month.

“I wanted to see Dr. Gamble. He was my personal surgeon at CENTCOM,” said Dempsey of hospital commander, Brig. Gen. Bryan Gamble. “He is a protégé.”

Dempsey’s wife, Deanie, had already planned to meet with clinic officials, but Dempsey said he had heard about the great work taking place there for Soldiers with TBI and post traumatic stress disorder and wanted to find out how Soldiers are being helped through its efforts.

And he was impressed with what he discovered.

“I think that this place has the feel of a center of excellence for the study, and it is a study,” said Dempsey.

Dempsey received an overview of the clinic from physicians and staff as well as listened to two Soldiers who were receiving treatment.

TBI is common among Soldiers receiving combat-related injuries, according to Dr. Jack Rigg, clinic program director.

Deanie Dempsey said she was interested in strides made in this field on a personal level.

“Marty commissioned all three of our kids so I’m not just the TRADOC commander’s spouse. I’m a mom of service members, so there but for the grace of God go I, it could have been one of my children,” she said.

Programs such as the one at Fort Gordon are important, and the Army owes it to service members to provide this type of care, she said.

“We need them to be well, and their families need them to be well so they have to seek treatment. And again, we owe it to them. I don’t think boarding them out is the answer when they come back and they’ve got problems. We’ve got to figure out how to make them whole again,” she said.